RTA eyes control of Ta Kwai

Landmines hinder Thai troops' advance

- CHAIRITH YONPIAM PORAMET TANGSATHAPORN

The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has admitted that Thai troops have not yet gained complete control over the disputed Ta Kwai temple area in Surin province near the Cambodian border.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree explained that the strategically important Hill 350 remains contested and that landmines planted by Cambodia have posed significant obstacles, restricting the army's ability to fully deploy troops.

He admitted that the Ta Kwai temple presents certain limitations and is a contested zone, which both Thai and Cambodian forces have made determined efforts to control.

NOT FULLY HELD

Although full control has not yet been achieved, Thai forces have expanded their control over the territory primarily through the use of direct firepower, the spokesman said.

He said that the final objective of the Thai military is to secure Hill 350, a strategically important point with significant military implications.